Either Trump Fires These People Or The Borg Will Have Won

President's Trump successful summit with President Putin was used by the 'resistance' and the deep state to launch a coup-attempt against Trump. Their minimum aim is to put Trump into a (virtual) political cage where he can no longer pursue his foreign policy agenda.

One does not have to be a fan of Trump's policies and still see the potential danger. A situation where he can no longer act freely will likely be worse. What Trump has done so far still does not add up to the disastrous policies and crimes his predecessor committed.

The borg, financed and sworn to the agenda of globalists and the military-industrial-media complex, has its orders and is acting on them. The globalists want more free trade agreements, no tariffs and more immigration to prevent higher wages. Capital does not have a national attachment. It does not care about the 'deplorables' who support Trump and his policies:

[P]olls show that Trump appears to still have the support of the bulk of Republican voters when it comes to tariffs. Nearly three-fourths, or 73 percent, of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who responded to a Pew Research survey out this week said they felt increased tariffs would benefit the country.

Donald Trump is, indeed, a kind of traitor to the Washington Consensus, a hyper-militarized capitalist utopia of corporate dominated global supply chains that doubled the international wage-slave workforce in the last two decades of the 20th century and herded these desperate billions into a race to the bottom. The leadership of both corporate parties conspired to force U.S. workers into the global meat-grinder.

The weapon industry and the military recognize that the 'war of terror' is nearing its end. To sell more they need to create an new 'enemy' that looks big enough to justify large and long-term spending. Russia, the most capable opponent the U.S. could have, is the designated target. A new Cold War will give justification for all kinds of fantastic and useless weapons.

Trump does not buy the nonsense claims of 'Russian meddling' in the U.S. elections and openly says so. He does not believe that Russia wants to attack anyone. To him Russia is not an enemy.

Trump grand foreign policy is following a realist assessment. He sees that previous administrations pushed Russia into the Chinese camp by aggressive anti-Russian policies in Europe and the Middle East. He wants to pull Russia out of the alliance with China, neutralize it in a political sense, to then be able to better tackle China which is the real threat to the American (economic) supremacy.

Former CIA chief John Brennan denounced Trump as a “traitor” who had “committed high crimes” in holding a friendly summit with Putin.

It can’t get more seditious than that. Trump is being denigrated by almost the entire political and media establishment in the US as a “treasonous” enemy of the state.

Following this logic, there is only one thing for it: the US establishment is calling for a coup to depose the 45th president. One Washington Post oped out of a total of five assailing the president gave the following stark ultimatum: “If you work for Trump, quit now”.

Some high ranking people working for Trump followed that advice. His chief of staff John Kelly rallied others against him:

According to three sources familiar with the situation, Kelly called around to Republicans on Capitol Hill and gave them the go-ahead to speak out against Trump. (The White House did not respond to a request for comment.) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan held televised press conferences to assert that Russia did meddle in the election.

Others who attacked Trump over his diplomatic efforts with Russia included the Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats who used an widely distributed interview for that:

The White House had little visibility into what Coats might say. The intelligence director’s team had turned down at least one offer from a senior White House official to help prepare him for the long-scheduled interview, pointing out that he had known Mitchell for years and was comfortable talking with her.

Coats was extraordinarily candid in the interview, at times questioning Trump’s judgment — such as the president’s decision to meet with Putin for two hours without any aides present beyond interpreters — and revealing the rift between the president and the intelligence community.

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday defended Special Counsel Robert Mueller as a “straight shooter,” and said the Russia investigation is no “witch hunt.”

Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, Wray said he stood by his view that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election in some capacity and that the threat remained active.

A day later Secretary of Defense Mattis also issued a statement that contradicted his president's policy:

Secretary of Defense James Mattis took his turn doing the implicit disavowing in a statement about new military aid to Ukraine:

"Russia should suffer consequences for its aggressive, destabilizing behavior and its illegal occupation of Ukraine. … The fundamental question we must ask ourselves is do we wish to strengthen our partners in key regions or leave them with no other options than to turn to Russia, thereby undermining a once in a generation opportunity to more closely align nations with the U.S. vision for global security and stability."

Pat Lang thinks that Trump should fire Coats, Wray and Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General who is overseeing the Mueller investigation.

My advice is to spare Rosenstein, for now, as firing him would lead to a great uproar in Congress. The Mueller investigation has not brought up anything which is dangerous to Trump and is unlikely to do so in the immediate future. He and Rosenstein can be fired at a latter stage.

But Wray and Coats do deserve a pink slip and so do Kelly and Mattis. They are political appointees who work 'at the pleasure of the President'.

The U.S. has the legislative and the judicial branch as a counterweight to the president who leads the executive. The 'deep state' and its moles within the executive should have no role in that balance. The elected president can and must demand loyalty from those who work for him.

Those who sabotage him should be fired, not in a Saturday night massacre but publicly, with a given reason and all at the same time. They do not deserve any warning. Their rolling heads will get the attention of others who are tempted by the borg to act against the lawful policy directives of their higher up.

All this is not a defense of Trump. I for one despise his antics and most of his policies. But having a bad president of the United States implementing the policies he campaigned on, and doing so within the proper process, is way better than having unaccountable forces dictating their policies to him.

It will be impossible for Trump to get anything done if his direct subordinates, who work 'at his pleasure', publicly sabotage the implementation of his policies. Either he fires these people or the borg will have won.

When I interviewed him a week ago on Air Force One, Trump explained why he’s getting in the room with traditional US enemies like North Korea and Russia.

‘I’d like to see peace. A lot of people thought we’re going to be at war with Trump as President. Well here it is - we’re getting rid of wars. We’re actually getting out of wars.’

‘Look, if we can get along with Russia that’s a good thing. For the United States to get along with Russia and China and all these other places…. Piers that’s a good thing, that’s not a bad thing. That’s a really good thing.’

For 8 years, I argued with Obama-bots who remained convinced that President CareBear really wanted to do all these wonderful things he said, but was forced to do the opposite by “Republican Obstructionism” (ignoring the Democratic super-majority in his first years), and by threats against him and his family by the very agencies now branded by the MSM as the “Deep State.”

When I pointed out that CitiBank picked his Wall Street revolving door Cabinet, I was told that this was a “4-D Chess move,” and that the brilliant Obama had to hire insiders who knew how “the system” worked so that he could dismantle that system and bring rainbows and unicorns to the 99%.

Now we are almost 1/2 way through the (first) term of President Trump®, and even b is promoting this exact same narrative for the Orange Führer.

Well, I was only able to win over a small percentage of Obama-bots with my pleas to look at what he was actually doing, and not the pretty words he spoke. Let alone my insistence that if he was really being threatened then the right thing to do would have been to say so, and either call for the people to rise up to overthrow the PTSB or resign. If a President is afraid to serve USAmerican interests, he doesn’t deserve to be President.

So maybe I should change tacks for those sucked into either pole of this Trump Derangement Syndrome. Maybe I should jump on the wagon barreling down the abyss, but try to help steer that wagon towards the conclusion that we must push our beloved leader (or despised Putin Puppet) to actually execute those “mumbles, such are promises …All lies and jests.”

Maybe we can stop with the apologetics and demand he stop funding nazis in Ukraine, terrorists in Syria, “color revolutionaries” in Venezuela and Nicaragua and mostly secret “dirty wars” in Africa. Maybe we can demand he actually serve the interests of the 99% in the US, and not the globalist banksters, MIC contractors and extraction industries who are his real beneficiaries.

Who knows? Maybe we can even force him to stop “Making Greater Israel Again” at great cost to the US in prestige, blood and gold.

Yeah, I know. All we’ll see is another round of the copyrighted “You’re Fired” trope of our first Reality TV Show President.

A couple of quotes from the Finian Cunningham piece b has linked to.
"Admittedly, Trump has many flaws and much of his foreign policy is in keeping with the usual criminal conduct of American imperialism."
"The problem for the American establishment is that it doesn’t like the way democracy worked out."

The only two choices the world faces in US leadership is the Russia hating fanatics that may quickly bring on WWIII, or an imperialist realist US that goes back to attacking countries that are no match for US military power.
The longer this internal war in the US lasts, the better off the world will be.

Daniel 4
When Trump announced the Goldman boys in his group - after campaigning against Wall Street - I pointed this out to friends only to have them tell me the exact same thing, that Trump had to have insiders to help him do what he needed to do. Bah! A pox on both their houses R and D.

@1 virgile.. good quote from trump.. thanks for that.. a moment of sanity and clarity from the unpredictable usa president!

@3 peter.. good comparison / analogy! and i agree with your last paragraph @5 too. thanks..

@4 daniel.. some aspects of trumps presidency look very promising... check out that video grieved shared if you haven't already.. it conforms to your thinking and it especially interesting coming from a russian! opps - it must be a russian set up!!

* There are well know economic realities that led to Trump being elected.

* Trump has no political apparatus like every other successful US presidential candidate.

* That lack of huge network ideological allies ready to take over the executive branch left Trump at the mercy of the long time apolitical Washington establishment.

Of course the Trump administration is overrun with bankers and neocons. It is essentially just Trump and his family.

That battle was lost from day one of the Trump administration. And no blather about 'draining the swap' or 4d chess or taking on the globalists is going to change that outcome.

You want to fight against the 'evil globalists'?

* Get off your asses and create a political party around Trump.
* Get off your asses and do the legwork needed to get Trump part candidates elected into office.
* Get off your asses and fund Trump focused think tanks to server as policy development and training grounds for future Trump party cabinet and other administration posts.
* Get off your asses and take your money out of 'globalist' banks. (This is the ultimate irony of Trumpsers babbling about globalists. But the globalist ATMs a really close to my house!)
* Get off your asses and make it so your candidate isn't at the mercy of the very same people you are railing against.

Anyone who thought a businessman with no political apparatus was going to walk into Washington like some stereotypical sheriff showing up and cleaning up a lawless town was laughably juvenile.

Such naivete b, it's very alarming. DJT, despite all his rhetoric, is just another empire puppet. He'll do what he must to further his, and his families ambitions, throwing the workers and the "little people" under the bus, along with the rule of law, the constitution, and anything else that gets in his way. The globalists own him, just like rest of our modern day presidents. His increase in personal wealth, is just the price he charges for being "owned" by them.

Anyone noticed how much personal wealth Obama has gained since he was president?

@13 ben... on the one hand i agree - another empire puppet, but on another level he isn't... now, just what is intentional and what isn't is hard to say.. see virgiles quote @1.. is that the voice of an empire puppet? well - maybe it is and he is fooling his base and plans to start ww3 sometime soon... why would he want to piss off the globalist corporate bankster elites - or mic as others refer to it here? okay.. maybe he isn't going to, but whatever one wants to say about trump, i think the most outstanding thing about him is his unpredictability and the fact he doesn't appear to give a shit what the msm - that brianwashing channel - thinks.. he does his own thing and for that - i admire him.. i still think he is a creep, but i admire that aspect of his.. he does lead, even if one doesn't like his style..

But I come back to the voter. Part of the reason O-Bomber and the Dems were elected was due to US public weariness of W's non-stop wars after pronouncing 'Mission Accomplished'.

Part of the reason Trump got in (apart from it was a change election) was the same. The Borg wants what the Borg wants, but if Trump and his base is the symptom, and Trump is neutered, what will voters do? The Dems aren't offering anything compelling apart anti-Trump guff.

Mark Blyth is one of my favorite economists. He coined the great phrase, that once the 0.01% screw us bad enough, "The Hamptons is not a defensible position."

But to imagine that Trump is all alone with just his family is to be blind to the big money interests that have propped him up and promoted him at least since the Rothschilds (who are never to be called "globalists") pumped $billions into his failing real estate and gambling businesses back in the 1980s.

Mercers. Adelson. Princes (including the de Vos branch). It goes on and on.

Everything of any substance he's done has benefited the giant corporate forms he serves.

"Globalists" are nothing more than the huge multi-national corporations. Through their massive profits they buy the politicians like DJT and others that do their bidding. It's not rocket science. They now own the U$A.

When DJT and his minions propose ANYTHING that benefits the working classes, maybe I'll change my mind, but, as of now, that hasn't happened.

Nice appraisal, b.
I'm still in Recovery Mode after the shock of reading Pat Lang's "Political Appointees who should be fired" musings. I expected to be waiting for Trump's 2nd term before any serious slime-removal began. But PL makes a persuasive case that time's a-wasting and Trump needs to grab a fire hose ASAP and flush some muck from the stables, now.

"The weapon industry and the military recognize that the 'war of terror' is nearing its end. To sell more they need to create an new 'enemy' that looks big enough to justify large and long-term spending." I bet Donald John Trump being such a douchebag bigot will go for Iran (or else Venezuela) just like his Republican predecessor went for Iraq. To be honest I don't believe Trump will go for Iran but the "shadow government" (if I can call it like that) will effectively go for a hot war with Iran. USA presidents are just some nice faces on a plutocratic system who need to sell policies to the masses and make them feel they have a say.

"Trump does not buy the nonsense claims of 'Russian meddling' in the U.S. elections and openly says so." Imagine he does believe it and says it out loud. "Dear US citizens, the Russians have tampered with our beloved free and fair democratic voting system so now you have me!" Of course there was no Russian meddling. But if it were so, who would ever admit it?

Trump is being given way too much credit. If Russia would have flown all their jets home right after the fake chemical attack in eastern Ghouta, Damascus and the rest of Syrian government controlled areas would lay in rubles by American bombs with jihadi scum committing the most unimaginable atrocities.

The whole idea of splitting Russia and China sure, maybe 20 years ago but those days are long gone. The two nations now have deep wide and strategic agreements and interests. Besides, what does the US have to offer? ease sanctions wow how kind. A project to split them can only fail.

On another point, it has been my understanding that Pentagon policy sense WWII assumed war with one would mean war with the other even when they were at odds.

You are right, this is a reality TV intended to try to implant in the US a Nazi regime through a military junta.
As soon as they have tested that people has become increasingly aware that everything remains the same, they are willing to throw the American people against each other as a last resort to impose the so pursued martial law which will allow cutting all rights and liberties at root, to be able to requisition funds, at whatever price the US workers would have to pay, and go after the needed wars, for US continuing hegemony, against Iran, Russia and China....This is why Trump is playing the card of opossing the DS policies and the others the role of fighting back to the limit of asking his impeachment, so as enrage his followers enough to get them rising in arms....In fact there are some "alt-media" just calling for this online at unison....These was the outcome wished since the beginning of the election campaign and such agressive stance by Trump and Nazi and KKK followers, and this is what lays behind the attack and intends of slamming and undermining every and each US institutions, so as that people gets enraged and disoriented enough, unable to trust the government or any of its agencies, and this way easy to fall into caos and the arms of extremists armed gangs...

That the US is calling for a genuine revolution of the people to the shouts does not mean that this one in the making has anything to do with genuine US people at all. I bet that it is the MIC ( which Pat Lang denies existing, btw...!!!) which directs the scene from behind...

Just found this video posted at other blog in which a man tells it as it is...This is the perception of the people around the muslim world...( and no muslim as well ), also increasingly aware...and they know it....Notice that the message Sheik Sudair is advancing follows the same script than Trump and his, at least part, administration....But so as that not permeate anybody any more...

LOL! Do you really think the US is a democracy? Do you think a real "outsider" populist can be elected via the money-centered US election process? Do you think Obama kept his campaign promises? Do think Trump has? (Prosecute "crooked" Hillary? Eliminated Obamacare "on day one"? Build a wall (and have Mexico pay for it)? Drained the swamp? Pull US troops out of the Middle East?)

Consider: The US is NOT a democracy and "the borg" controls the narrative AND the counter-narrative. Obama and Trump were selected and made into the most appealing choice ("lesser evil").

=

Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

I just want to say that the phrase "cold war" or "new cold war" has far outlived its usefulness and meaning. If there is an indecisive battle and the sides return to base then it becomes a cold war it just has no meaning in relation to current events. That was then this is now.

"It will be impossible for Trump to get anything done if his direct subordinates, who work 'at his pleasure', publicly sabotage the implementation of his policies. Either he fires these people or the borg will have won."

Instead of blogging about nonsense words on fairly obscure site that gets little no visibility to the real world, you could have put your time into something concrete like grown ups do.

All those people surrounding Trump right now are there because they don't waste their writing silly little rants about boogymen. They have spent their lives making sure their interests are secure with good use of their time and money.

But that is hard work, right? Much easier to sit around complaining on some obscure blog.

I think the most hilarious and pathetic about these online rants about 'teh globalists' is right now as these very same posters have hundreds of millions of dollars sitting in these very same bankers and 'globalists' banks right now out of nothing other than pure laziness.

The Trump presidency is done. There is going to be no magic turnaround. This is not some elaborate and masterful strategy where he is embracing 'teh swamp' only to drop the hammer on the them.

Trump is a weak president at the mercy of those around him. He has no long time political apparatus to support him. He no support from the Republicans. He will limp along for the rest of his term and when he wins again(Democrats are self destructing) with what you see today.

Well, I have to say there is no better person than Karen Shakhnazarov to promote the standard narrative of our first Reality TV Show President to a Russia audience. He is, after all a famous TV and film director who brags about being able to sway huge masses of people to do his bidding.

And he presented quite a performance. He had few, if any actual evidences to back up his soliloquy, but he presented it with the force of a true believer.

I would have liked to hear the rebuttals of the other guests, but they don’t seem to be online.

For no matter who is promoting it, I find the standard narrative to be specious. Trump is not, and never was an “outsider.” He is not opposing the PTSB, but enriching them.

I don’t care what he, or anyone says; I watch what they actually do. Within days of this press conference, Trump OK’d another $200 million in military aid for the neo-nazis we planted on Russia’s border.

I don’t know why some in Russian media promote the US MSM narrative about this “war” between Trump and “the establishment” and “Deep State.” I want to keep believing that President Putin is acting in the best interests of the Russian people and their allies.

Perhaps they believe that promoting the narrative gives Trump some room to actually execute the policies which I think Shakhnazarov is correct in saying the US public backs.

But all I see is Trump executing the policies of the 0.01% sponsors of the US duopoly.

I'm not sure that the borg haven't already won long ago. The hysterical verbal attacks against Trump by the MSM and the swamp are worrying, but I'm starting to notice a similarity between this and Trump's own rhetoric. Trump's "fire and fury," his attacks on journalists, European allies, and "very unfair trade" make a lot of people uncomfortable. The US political circus has been cranked up to maximum volume. The question is whether there are any real actions happening to justify this noise.

Trump's public opponents have offered endless predictions of doom and gloom which have not come to pass. Pulling out of the Iran deal and the climate deal, the nomination of BK for SCOTUS, and the tariffs have all been condemned but we are still waiting to see how these situations play out.

The Trump administration's internal dissenters have cried about his gestures toward peace and nonintervention, at the same time the "defense" spending and the drone strikes continue as strong as ever.

I would like to see Trump fire some people, but I'm not sure it's necessary (from Trump's perspective) because I'm not sure that the level of conflict is as serious as what is portrayed. Same thing with impeachment. It won't happen, because pretty soon the people would realize that their lot hasn't improved, that Trump wasn't the problem, and the MSM and the swamp would end up with even less credibliity. And if one president can be impeached, the calls for impeachment will continue with the next president and the next...

xor @24, "Of course there was no Russian meddling. But if it were so, who would ever admit it?"

Actually, The Donald has said publicly on several occasions that the accepts the story that Russia meddled in our election. He just says (as did the Republican committee) that they didn't change the results.

I believe they're keeping that story alive so they can impose even more draconian restrictions on voting, and install even more opaque election systems so future rigging is even less obvious.

Thanks, this is an important post. The coup will be a success when Dissidents are labeled Russian Collaborators and the internet goes black. Even if Donald Trump doesn’t resign or isn’t impeached, the splintering apart will continue. Money making chaos is spreading across Europe and North America. The counter is to restore government by and for the people and secure borders.

Who is actually in charge over there, among the Borg? And how much in charge? They cannot function yet as the collective electronic mind of science fiction, can they?

Was it Rosenstein who ordered the arrest of the Russian gun lobbyist woman the day after the summit? That looks very much like an act of desperation. There is much to suggest that Special Counsel Mueller takes his orders from Rosenstein, but who does Rosenstein answer to, and is he untouchable within the USA legal system? How much cognitive dissonance is the public supposed to handle in relation to Rosenstein not being held accountable for his crimes, including high treason?

Who are the 'globalists' actually and which is their chain of command? Which positions do Soros, Bezos, CIA-MI6 have? What is the role of Mossad?

As it appears, after the ascendance of Trump, the actors are not sure themselves anymore about any of this, that is about who is in charge, or in particular about how much authority and insurance their actual real-life handlers do possess and vouch for. They waver, in the case of media hysterically so.

"The Intelligence Community", in particular CIA, is a central executive force in the circus, in collaboration with MI6 and the obedient assets in the NATO sphere, but they have grown so incompetent due to incessant politicizing and sycophantism that they are perhaps little more a paper tiger by now? If this fact, with the help of Trump and allies, would be perceived clearer by the political classes of the USA, much good would be the result.

Nah, Trump shouldn't sack them yet but give them more rope to hang themselves.
The only thing he must do is beef up his security detail with some really mean mofos. Spetsnaz or Hezbollah main force might be best but would be politically unacceptable. I suspect he could get enough ex-US SF volunteers willing to die for him to ensure his safety when the Washington Borg goes postal as they will in the next year or so when it dawns on them how completely Trump has fucked them over. The last week or so has done much to convince me that Trump is a revolutionary.

@29 ivan.. you're a bit of a lun - short for lunatic.. henceforth, i am skipping your inanities..

@30 daniel.. i hear what you are saying.. he was and probably still is, a real estate developer.. he dreams trump towers around the world.. but, he was never a politician until very recently.. that he won the election came as a surprise to many.. yes - he had powerful backing - just how much he owes to that, i don't know.. but it is a plutocracy as i see it.. he has very little wiggle room.. he is also a live wire and unpredictable.. i can't think of a president who was this off script, forthright, ignorant and on and on the characteristics go.. but i don't see him towing the line exactly... so, maybe i am wrong on trump..

as for the interview, yes - would have been nice to hear some of the other guests rebut his comments.. the host did a very small bit, but that wasn't much... yes - the guy is in entertainment - he shares that with trump, lol... but the guy wasn't fickle.. i find trump quite capricious..

regarding your last line - i am not so sure.. it looks dicey to me and he is creating a lot of uncertainty with the countries - europe - that typically go along with everything the usa says.. maybe his stirring up stuff is a part of his plan, but he doesn't seem to have a genuine plan... he comes across like a loose cannon mostly.. i know one when i see one, lol... he is more of an outsider then an insider as i see it, but time will tell.. obviously people and politicians have to be a bit of both to move forward..as with so much - a simple black and white breakdown is impossible as i see it..

Trump simply shouldn't have been elected in the first place if the system of political filtration was working properly. The Borg appears to have done some deft footwork since it became clear he was a serious contender and prepared for him becoming President. The Christoper Steele Dossier, courtesy of the UK, looks like just one strand of this.

I'm just not ready to call it. I don't know what will happen. Traditionally it takes two terms for a President to leave a clear mark, but I don't know if this applies anymore.

I'm also wary of treating the voter as an easily managed moron as much of the media and many pols do. I think that is an error. There will be fallout.

Frank Zappa observed 30 or 40 years ago that the facade of “democracy” in the US will be dropped whenever it becomes expedient to do so. And that facade became a lot thinner 3 days after “the event that changed everything.”

The US has been under a form of “Martial Law” since President Bush II signed Executive Order 13223 on September 14, 2001.

Exactly what this EO established is classified, but even the changes since 9/11 that are public are horrifying. No more habeas corpus. US military permitted to police the streets. “Kill lists” of US citizens, even on US territory. Imagine what powers are still classified!

Since then, every year, each President has extended it for another year. President Trump extended, and expanded it last year, giving him the authority to recall into service any “retired member of the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, or RegularMarine Corps.”

Starting with some posts at 4-Chan, some in the “alt-right” were claiming that the purpose of this power to confiscate private property is Trump’s “4-D Chess Move” to eviscerate the Clinton “Deep State” Globalists.

That 4-Chan thread evolved into “Q” and QAnon which are serving to keep Trump fans chasing squirrels, and ignoring what this Administration is actually doing.

b has the courage (finally) to admit that passing a summary judgement against Trump at this juncture is absurd and would exhibit symptoms of TDS and immediately people are here to remind us (program us) into thinking that this is all theatre and there is no daylight btw Obama and Trump.

Bullshit.

No one in their right-fucking mind would willingly drag themselves through the festering piles of all possible mammalian fecal matter that DJT has had to endure since the start of his presidency. You're gonna tell me that he didn't mind that they were going to drag his philandering ass through the mud so that his YOUNG BOY and family would know what kind of a real piece of garbage this two-timer is? You're going to tell me that he willfully signed on for death threats and to be publically shamed and turned on by all his orchestrated advisor-elections?

For what? So he could sell more steaks post-presidency or build towers in Pyongyang?

So this is all theater and it doesn't even matter, huh?

Poor DJT. The loneliest dumbass in the world right now. His wife even "shooed" his hand away on camera at a tarmac meet-and-greet. Gosh...who wouldn't sign up for that?!

And surely he must really be having a lot of fun backstage sniggering at all the gullibles in his deplorable army. Gosh, do I feel like a twit.

I wouldn't say "the borg have won," because that means the game is over. I'd say this borg are in power, and are playing us with awesome finesse.

But I still believe that once enough of us see through the deceptions, and unite to take them down, that we can beat them. The real PTSB are a tiny percentage. Additionally, they have a few percent of enforcers (cops/militaries/paramilitaries). And a few more percent who believe that they're benefiting from this borg-dominance enough to support it.

But it really won't take that many dedicated revolutionaries to topple their house of cards. Once we convince even a significant minority of the enforcers to refuse orders and stand with us, I expect their rule will fall quickly, as it has in other instances.

You seem to have good instincts, but continue to fall back into the MSM narratives.

"i can't think of a president who was this off script,"

Have you seen the script? I haven't. I just watch what his Administration actually does. The only change in US policies have been escalations of the worst and stripping of the better ones.

"he doesn't seem to have a genuine plan... he comes across like a loose cannon mostly"

Yep. That is precisely what we see our First Realty TV Show President doing. Especially through those Tweets that we're told he writes, his character is all those things you say. But again, what is his Administration actually doing?

" but time will tell.. "

We're almost halfway through his (first) term, and what have we seen? We've seen war escalated. We're up to one bomb every 12 minutes! That's 3x as many as Obama and 6x as many as Bush II. We now have unknown thousands of regular troops occupying more than 1/3 of the sovereign state of Syria, replacing a few hundred Special Ops guys Obama had.

We're still working to overturn countries that displease the 0.01%/globalists/elites/Deep State/borg or whatever one wants to call them. Within weeks of his Administration floating the idea that we may need to send troops into Venezuela, we welcome their neighbor, Colombia into NATO. Article V anyone?

Continuing to "wait and see" benefits whom?

Really, you do see it. You're just letting yourself get swept up into the squirrel cage. Almost everyone out there is. Heck, even our beloved b is chasing that squirrel today.

As far as I could tell, the EO to confiscate property is to mitigate the loss of funds/assets "instantaneously" transferred by bad guys to unreachable destinations by the US Treasury. It is a way to beat tipping off confiscations with a warrant. The people affected by this EO would still have recourse to prove their legitimate and lawful holdings of those assets.

Daniel, the Federal Gov't already has the law on its side to confiscate your private property: your gold. Please provide more than this paltry EO to prove DJT's fascist-cred.

"Because many American banks wouldn’t lend money to Trump’s debt-soaked company, he had to look elsewhere, like Russia. “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets,” Donald Trump Jr. said in 2008, specifically mentioning projects in SoHo and Dubai.

Trump could clear up this issue by releasing his tax returns. That he has not, unlike every other modern presidential candidate, means that he deserves no benefit of the doubt. The fairest assumption is that he has Russian business ties he wants to keep hidden.

By the looks of the war that has been going on in the US that involves the intelligence agencies, if there was dirt in trumps tax returns or any other part of his business career, it would have been 'leaked'. There would have been no need for a fictional 'dossier'.

The question should be whether the US would alert the US public of domestic operations, disguised "cleverly", by keyboards and spoof IP's as foreign, especially Russian entities. The best cover for US intelligence, particularly if politically motivated and even if it is for testing purposes, is to hide behind Russian identities if only to stay out of legal problems. The argument that every country hacks and steals, so therefore no big deal, misses the most obvious reasons of motivation. Elements of US intelligence would and logically should have the biggest motivations to meddle in US politics. Seriously, if you were Pootin, would you really be interested in getting involved in US electoral politics? I'd run the other way.

Trump and Deep state... what is it about NA people who analyse NA politics/power that they almost always resort to dualisms?

Recently (a couple years ago) in N. Syria there were 4 or 5 different factions all supported by rival power centers in the US, all fighting each other - ignoring their stated enemy - the SAA, and fighting each other in order to gain points back in Washington!

It is meaningless to talk about either the US, the US government, the US military, The Corporate world, etc, as if they are single actors. Even the bankers will at times square off against each other.

Before Obama, each president had a relative stable configuration of power-factions backing him (in exchange for special access to the public trough). With Obama, they all were all at the trough, each of them trying to elbow another couple groups out of the way. That is why there was little ideological coherance to what he actual did legislatively (other than buying off the faction-flavor of the day for a limited bounce in the polls). Still, the factions gave nominal assent to Obama as an icon of US power.

With Trump, the factions that under Obama consolidated their control over a sector of power (Pentagon, Neo-Cons, CIA, Special Ops, Media, Tech/Silicon Valley, Finance, Oil, Health Care, DHS/FBI, State, EPA, etc) have come out from the shadows and fight for dominance. Why at this time? Is it the perception of pending collapse that propels them? If so they hasten their own end.

Trump's antics (ie Verbal welcome to Putin while immediately sending 200 million of offensive arms to Ukraine) are all a smokescreen, distraction from the real changes to law that benefit the elite and punish the wage earner. Don't listen to what he says, or what the media says he says, or what the media says about him. It is all a con.

Look at what is done. By way of example look at the world military scene. Trump talks withdrawl. What did he do?

- highest budget ever for the Pentagon, more than they asked for!
- more US troops on the ground in Syria
- more US funds for Ukraine
- more US/Nato forces & $costs on the border with Russia
- more confrontation with China in the south China sea
- more US involvement in Yemen
- expanded special ops role in Africa
- expanded economic-military role against Venezuela

Notice too that each of those actions benefits a different power faction
- Pentagon budget rewards republican/conservative supporters
- Syria rewards the Neo-cons/Israel, while controlling EU access to ME energy.
- Nato patrols in Estonia etc play to the anti-Russia MSM and the US as world policeman meme.
- Confronting China is all about US dollar dominance - which is why the trade war will evolve into a currency war
- US involvement in Yemen is about supporting the Saudi's
- Like Big Pharma, special ops get a whole continent to play games in & test their toys.
- Venezuela is ultimately about controlling the worlds second largest oil resource.

My point is that like many presidents before him, Trump actually controls very little. What he does control is rapidly being eroded by both his actions and the actions of others. The net effect invariably benefits US elites and penalizes all others.

@45 daniel.. maybe so.. i dunno.. i can tell you i don't partake of any msm, so my sources are limited, lol.. lets use syria as an example.. how has it worked out since trump has been in power? now, how much of that is trumps doing, or as a consequence of russia and irans doing and etc. etc.? i don't know if i see it, but it seems to me trump, or the usa - are not in the same position they were around the time trump got the presidency... i don't doubt more bombs and drones are being released... i am not sure how much of that falls at trumps doorstep.. i would like it if he stopped the madness on yemen, thanks saudi arabia.. he seems partly paralyzed with regard to ksa, but i too liked the video that @26 sasha linked to..

as for continuing to wait and see... i don't know what other options i have! i don't believe waxing eloquent on moa is going to make any difference! i am happy to consider others ideas and explore the possibilities.. no one so far as i know has made a convincing argument that trump is the consummate insider... i think he is more of a mix of both.. i guess that is the basis for my wait and see approach here..

@49 ben.. that is the constant insinuation on trump - needed money so he went to russia... what if we find out he got it from the mercers, sheldon adelson, the rothchilds, ksa, israel and etc etc? it is only that he could get it from russia that gets repeated ad nauseam in the msm.. i have a problem with that..

@55 viviana... thanks, but it is in russian with no english subtitles.. that is the video both daniel and i would like to see more fully and that grieved shared on a previous thread - but only part of it.. if an english translation comes available, let us know.. thanks.

... immediately people are here to remind us (program us) into thinking that this is all theatre and there is no daylight btw Obama and Trump.

Allow me to clarify. It's true that Trump isn't "like" Obama as in facing the same issues and obstacles. It would be foolish to make that claim.

Instead, what Daniel and I (and I think ben and a few others) have pointed out is that they both follow a similar faux populist political model. They make populist appeals (which appears genuine because we are told they are "outsiders") but govern for the benefit of the establishment.

= = = = = =

hopehely @44:

It is kinda double negative. :-D

Yes. And just how a native speaker would say it.

= = = = = =

ben @49:

The fairest assumption is that he has Russian business ties he wants to keep hidden.

No. There are many other possibilities.

>> Doesn't want crazed antifa/anti-Russians to attack his business interests

It is certainly an act of great courage for a POTUS to go against the PTB. The Kennedy's fate pops into ones mind.

Standing up against his party's opinion, against the MSM narratives is truly a
remarkable thing.

We live in doxocracy and what governments or leaders do normally is create news that will entail a reaction from the masses that will implore the government to do exactly what the Government wanted to do in the first place.

IN other words, as Rove says, the (empire) government creates a reality that the people gets to study and this entails a reaction which favours the entity taking the action it wanted to take.

Say for example you want dictatorial powers, you create 9/11 and you get to have all the dictatorial powers you dreamed off with the blessing and the urgings of the oppressed.

All PsOTUS since G.W.Bush have been granted absolute power by acts of Congress through the war on terror legislation.

So, Trump can arrest anybody he wants without any process in any form, sequester anybody he wants to, kill anyone who stands in his way, all this absolutely legally. The legislation authorises it. Nobody in and out of the US is above it or beyond what Congress has adopted. He can seize any property, any assets of anyone including and not limited to the Rockefellers et al and all the banksters.

To do this he only needs a loyal battallion commander.

So the swamp is planning a coup? DT can act swiftly and in his one night of the long knives do away with his critics, detractors, pursuers, the Clintons, the Soroses etc.

He and his loyalists must prepare a list of enemies and in one night round all of them up including the newspapers and TV editors, broadcasters et al.

DT's night of the long knives. He might not have the courage to do it. but it's either him or them.

He has the Congress legislation to back him up. He only needs to prepare a good Speech to the Nation afterwards.

People believe what they want to believe. Trump of course has many personal business reasons to want sanctions removed from Russia since quite of lot of money looted from Russia and the FSU ended up in his pocket by way of loans or investments in his projects. Tracing this money puts his Empire at risk. He is what they call "Kompromat" in Russia, so he must do the bidding of the Cold War forces. To say he is sabatoged by people he himself appointed is curious.

Part of the reason for all this is the drying up of capital flight from Russia and FSU since 2005 or so. Over a trillion USD flowed into Eurodollar accounts from 1990-2005 and much of it ended up in the US as multiples of this as these dollars in offshore banks were loaned 10-20 times this amount to the US and European clients/banks. Some of it flowed directly into US via these tax havens, legally or otherwise. This huge source of cash fueled asset inflation in that period and when it dried up we had the Great Recession starting in 2006 -2007, and coincidentally that was shortly after Browder was kicked out of Russia

Browder may be an MI6/CIA/Mossad agent that helped facilitate and track this looting in partnership with the Israeli Safra who owned the Republican Bank of New York and was said to be Mossad/Mafia connected. At the same time Hermitage Capital began operations Safras bank was selling up to 1 billion dollars a day in 100 dollar bills to Russian "entities" and flying it to Russia in what was called the "Money Plane". This obviously was with the support of the Fed Reserve and Clinton administration which helped to get Yeltsin reelected with IMF money. Funny how billions of that IMF money still ended up getting sent to the Bank of New York and Safras Republican Bank before Safra blew the whistle as he neared a deal to sell his bank and Hermitage holdings to the notorious HSBC

He was killed days after agreeing to sell under mysterious circumstances (fire) in Monaco despite using a top security company that used ex-Mossad agents, similar to the company he used in Moscow to protect his "Money Plane" and Browder. Someone was obviously unhappy about his blowing the whistle. Perhaps Semyon Mogilevitch, who was implicated and is reportedly the top Don of the Russian mafia

Trumps ex-partner Felix Sater and a number of tenants in the Trump Tower have been connected to Semyon Mogilevitch

So anyways , now the Fed and ECB plan to end the QE of the last 8 years and must find a way to replace toxic assets on the balance sheet with quality assets . Otherwise the next crash, and they seem to happen every 10 -11 years now, will be a whopper.

Thats where Browder and the Magnitsky Act come in. Cold War II besides propping up the MIC and replacing the fizzling GWOT may be an excuse to seize assets to prop up the Fed

Putin however might like to recover some of those assets from enemy oligarchs in exile for Russia and himself, and must protect the oligarchs in his camp who have a lot to lose, not to mention the RCB , Gazprom and oil companies who keep a lot of reserves /assets offshore . Thats why he has requested interviews with Browder associates and officials that know about such transfers so he can recover them, or at least provide some leverage as protection

"Now let’s connect all the dots: there is a pro-western (in realty, western-controlled) faction inside the government which is financing those who are attempting to overthrow Putin by making him unpopular with the Russian general public (which overwhelmingly opposes “(neo)liberal” economic policies and which despises the Russian liberal elites) by constantly forcing him into (neo)liberal economic policies which he clearly does not like (he declared himself categorically opposed to such policies in 2005) and the so-called “patriotic media” is covering it all up. And Putin cannot change this without shedding blood........

Just like in the West, in Russia the media depends first and foremost on money. Big financial interests are very good at using the media to promote their agenda, deny or obfuscate some topics while pushing others. This is why you often see the Russian media backing WTO/WB/IMF/etc policies to the hilt while never criticizing Israel or, God forbid, rabidly pro-Israel propagandists on mainstream TV (guys like Vladimir Soloviev, Evgenii Satanovsky, Iakov Kedmi, Avigdor Eskin and many others). This is the same media which will gladly criticize Iran and Hezbollah but never wonder why the Russian main TV stations are spewing pro-Israeli propaganda on a daily basis.

And, of course, they will all mantrically repeat the same chant: “there is no 5th column in Russia!! None!! Never!!”

This is no different than the paid for corporate media in the USA which denies the existence of a “deep state” or the US “Israel Lobby”.

And yet, many (most?) people in the USA and Russia realize at an almost gut-level that they are being lied to and that, in reality, a hostile power is ruling over them."

By the looks of the war that has been going on in the US that involves the intelligence agencies, if there was dirt in trumps tax returns or any other part of his business career, it would have been 'leaked'.

Good point!

It actually helps to make the case that Trump is part of the establishment. They protect his business interests by not leaking his tax returns and other info.

This is an insight akin to when Qanon started promoting war with Irran.

Trump and the people behind realize that to be a great power in the coming era, the US must once again become a manufacturing power. This I believe is behind Trump's push, tarrifs and so forth, to rebuild US manufacturing. He is pushing for a lower US dollar which means imported items will be more expensive compared to domestically produced goods.
although there is a lot of automation in todays manufacturing, this overall effort will create a lot of jobs within the US.
In looking into domestic oil production in the US, one field is held up from expanding output until a second pipeline is completed. Trucking the oil out in the interim was also a problem as US trucking is now very busy and in short supply with all sectors in the US.
This is far more than giving money to banks trickle down crap. It is physical rebuilding of US domestic manufacturing capability.

Trump wants peace my ass! What about IRAAAAAN??? Did you all conveniently forget about his obsession with Iran, or is everyone back on the Trump juice?

_________________

He wants to pull Russia out of the alliance with China, neutralize it in a political sense, to then be able to better tackle China which is the real threat to the American (economic) supremacy.

To neutralize China in any sense is a fool's errand and failed mission from the get-go.

China is a threat to the Empire? And that's a bad thing?...exactly why???

I, for one, will not compromise my soul, and sell out Iran and China and the well-being of this planet for a fantasy peace with Russia that will never last or come to fruition with the devious, duplicitous Zionist American Empire.

I ridiculed the "Show Us Your Tax Forms" protests as diversionary and useless. He's not going to listen to a bunch of "liberals" and his fans have already accepted he's not releasing them.

But let us remember that he promised his fans several times during the campaign that he would release them. He made up the excuse of being audited, but he (or his handlers) felt it necessary to make that promise.

Yet he hasn't. Why? Is it because he's so shy about his wealth? Doesn't want to rub in our faces how much income he makes? Hardly.

It should be pretty clear there's stuff in there he doesn't want to make public. Chances are, it's stuff that might turn off some of his fan base (because Trump haters gonna hate no matter what).

So, the point that the "Deep State" hasn't leaked them came up. That's absolutely true, and should tell us something.

It tells us that this "Deep State" has chosen not to hurt Trump by releasing them. Maybe there really is this "war" the MSM shows us daily, and they're waiting for the right time. Or maybe, this "war" is a psyop.

First, we are all enmeshed in the MSM narrative even if we don't read or watch MSM outlets. Even here at MoA, we are given samples of them, and discuss their meaning. In fact, personally exposing oneself to the MSM directly may give one a better idea of what narratives they're trying to sell.

What's happened in Syria since Trump came in is that SAA and its allies have retaken most of the south, and the US has firmly militarily taken the north, while NATO ally Turkey has conquered significant portions along their border.

What's happened is the US has killed as many as 200 Russians for daring to get too close to the US proxy fighters on "their" side of the country. That's separate from the at least 4 times the US has bombed Syrian forces, and the Syrian jet it shot down.

By some accounts, the US coalition killed 40,000 civilians in "liberating" Raqqa, while firing more artillery shells than any time in the past 1/2 century. We've established about 12 military bases.

Which all boils down to an escalation of Obama's war, with the apparent admission that the "regime change" failed (which even during Obama's reign, was an on again/off again issue).

But I grant you that you and I are not in positions to do much about any of this. You could try to affect your government, and i mine, but we know we have no influence. So, perhaps just accepting that sitting back and watching the horror show is all we can do anyway.

A couple of threads back, b ran a piece that dealt with grand strategy.
From 1977 till 2016, US grand strategy was economic hegemen using the petro-dollar.
All sub-strategies and tactics were to further, and in support of, the grand strategy.

In the last few years of the Obama era, with Obama desperately trying to prop up the failing petro-dollar with poorly thought out tactics - doing stupid shit - strutting around the chessboard knocking pieces over and shitting on the board - a section of the US elite realized they were heading for collapse or nuclear armageddon.
They have scrapped the peto-dollar grand strategy and got their man in office. Trump is part of this section of elite rather than a mere puppet.
Their new grand strategy, I believe, is energy dominance and all sub strategies and tactics will be used to further the grand strategy.
Those that made their money and continue to make money from the petro-dollar grand strategy will be the losers if the Trump section wins.

CarlD lists all the horrible, tyrannical powers we've allowed the Executive Office to take over the years.... and then calls on Trump to go full dictator on it with a military coup of any opposition. And strip them (us) of all their possessions so they couldn't even muster a legal defense (not that actual charges or even evidence are required to "indefinitely detain" or even "Kill List" our butts).

This is exactly what the "Q" entity has been feeding its followers.

Those who spent decades warning us about the coming Police State are now angry that the Police State isn't busting more skulls and shipping more people off to those detention centers.

Andrea missed one of Obama's first unforced errors: His idea to "look forward, not backward" with respect to Wall Street ruining the economy. He let Little Timmy, Big Hank, Bloated Larry and others scare him into bailing out the Banksters. In addition he promised relief for underwater home owners and never followed up.

The Donald's problem is he did collude with Russia, only it is not what the Democrats and Deep State want.
Russia was not involved in the elections.
Michael Flynn and Kushner tried to influence the Russian ambassador to withheld a vote for a UN resolution condemning Israeli "settlements",in October 2016.
The resolution passed with 14-1 votes ,US voting against it.
The Donald, Kushner and Flynn acted on behalf of Netanyahu, being private citizens at that time( against Logan act).
A high ranking Israeli official admits this.
Flynn resigned to bury the story because it involves Israel.
So the Donald could be blackmailed with this.
See his reversal, admitting that Russia and Mr. Putin did meddle into the American elections.
There could be other reasons for the blackmail too.

>* GOYA and create a political party around Trump.
>* GOYA and do the legwork needed to get Trump part candidates elected into office.

Such attempt will likely fail. Democrats and Republicans are not classic parties but in essence coalitions, with relatively minor social left-to right preference differences (not program differences). Those two coalitions jointly control nearly 100% of the vote. Not enough space for a new party.

DJT won not because some brilliant party program but by intuitively riding on wide spread protest vote. His promises are good enough for rallies but do not add up to a coherent program. What will be 'his party' program, what will it stand for, apart from DJT as a person? (No clue).

>*GOYA and fund Trump focused think tanks.
I guess, most 'think tanks' are not based on superior intellect, rather they are power houses run by (ex)-establishment. Those can access all the moneys in the world, if needed. Little people do not have enough to beat them on moneys or power. There are also academics. But DJT is too disconnected and does not have good traction in those circles. Besides, most of grand academic peers would be Democratic-leaning.

(As a result, DJT's 'think tanks' may have to be based on some 'obscure web sites', as you have put it).

Obama's "doing stupid shit" forged a tight bond between Russia and China. The global energy dominance strategy of the Trump faction may well help China and India overcome their differences. SCO look to be backing Iran. India is a member of SCO and as an energy importer will be one of those held to ransom by US energy dominance.

I wouldn't fire Mattis, unless he was clearly willing to see Trump ousted. Mattis is well-respected by the military, so as long as he's in place, there will be no *military* coup against Trump. With a random civilian running the Pentagon, the calls from some insane Dems to the military to "do its job and punish the traitor Trump" will become slightly more credible. Though Trump could have a chat with Mattis and set clear limits to what he can do on his own, who decides the general foreign and military policy, and how much he can comment and criticize his boss. On the other hand, Kelly colluding with Republican leaders to blame and attack the boss goes too far.

The american ruling elites are tearing themselves apart. In the process they are destroying the carefully constructed constitutional facade to a system of pretend democracy- a system in which there are lots of votes and all of them are meaningless.
These are inevitable consequences of the failure of imperialism. Russia intervened alright in American politics, not by cyber trickery but by good, old fashioned military force. When Assad was not kicked out of Damascus, imperialism- which has always been about huffing and puffing, picking on enemies that couldn't defend themselves and chest beating proclamations of invincibility- was revealed to be a paper tiger, nasty to contemplate, evil smelling and bloated. But, basically, rotten.
As is the way with such enterprises, as soon as it reaches an obstacle which it cannot surmount it starts tearing itself apart. Howls of recrimination and blame shifting fill the air.
Pass the popcorn, this will be fun to watch.
And when it is over the American people, long suffering victims of generations of star spangled grifters, will come into their own, cleaning things up and minding their own business.

et Al @38: "I'm just not ready to call it. I don't know what will happen."

That is where I am at as well.

and also @38: "My head is pessimist, my heart it optimist. Does not compute."

I am experiencing a similar internal dichotomy of thought and feeling. There are reasons to be concerned, of course - no.1 of them being that Trump, even given the benefit of the doubt, may not have strong enough backing to pull off his nationalist agenda. But I will remain optimistic until I see an actual new war launched or an old one heated up. I can live with the endless war of words - in fact I am enjoying that part, since some of those words have never been uttered by a sitting President in the modern era....ever!

It does seem to be the thread that unites the actions of Syria, Ukraine (Chevron and Shell both believed, as it proved mistakenly, that under Ukraine’s coal fields lay huge gas reserves that would supplant Russian supplies - hence the military conflict with Donbass), Support of the Kurds (under whose feet in Syria, Iraq and Iran lies most future ME oil supplies), action against Venezuela, special ops action in Africa and confrontation in the South China Sea (thought to contain reserves like the gulf of Mexico)...

That these actions all emerge after the looting described by @ 62 Pft was put to an end by Putin only reinforces the point. If memory serves, the first really negative article I saw on Putin and his desperate grip on power, also came out in 2006. It was 2007 that the then French foreign minister recounts first hearing plans to militarily destabilize Syria. The first attempt at a color revolution in Ukraine and a coup in Venezuela date to the same period.

for me 2006 marks the turning point when US strategy moves towards the idea of zones of stability and chaos - all as part of the global resource war - of which energy is dominant.

Yeah, that's why Trump wanted to invade Venezuela and is in the process of choking off Iran's oil exports, for starters, because the U.S. can't have energy dominance without attacking major oil exporters that don't have nuclear weapons to protect themselves. If you're NK and Russia and you already have the nukes, Trump will pretend he's a nice guy with good intentions who wants peace. However Trump's intimidating Russia's gas clients in Europe to stop importing Russian gas. (Not so nice after all!) That's the M.O. of a BULLY.

Activist Potato 78 "and also @38: "My head is pessimist, my heart it optimist. Does not compute."
"I am experiencing a similar internal dichotomy of thought and feeling."

Up until a week or two back that was also my feeling. The election of Trump over Clinton reduced the chances of a US war with Russia. There a a number of good things happening in Syria with Trump pulling support for the so called white helmets and moderate headchoppers.
But then on the other hand, there is some territory in Syria under US occupation that Trump will not relinquish.
I think the simultaneous pessimist/optimist feeling is due to a change of US grand strategy. Generally better than an Obama/Clinton admin, different but still dangerous global ambitions.

@45 Daniel. Right on. Trump administration actions, including toward Russia, are an escalation of Obama-era imperialism, imperialism for the Western banks and the war industry.

Despite reality, why are smart folks being swept into the squirrel cage, i.e., why do people (including b) think Trump is at war with the deep state and 'the globalists'? Because of Trump's rhetoric toward Vladimir Putin, that's it. He doesn't engage in the establishment's lunatic demonization of the leader of the country 'we' need to have as our war machine's main enemy.

Why doesn't he conform on that ONE matter, why doesn't Trump demonize Putin? First of all because he doesn't believe it (but no one does, that's no excuse), second because his base likes to see Trump getting establishment disinfobots bent out of shape, and third and most important by far, ISRAEL.

Paul Jay at RealNews (and others?) theorizes that Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu (note the recent Putin meetings with Netanyahu) are working out a deal that sells out Iran in some major way. Putin is Iran's most important backer, and Trump needs him on this. So what matters more, orders from Netanyahu or whether John Brennan likes you or not? And obviously Trump knows all the establishment haters will come back around when they see that he got Putin to betray Iran.

... Finally, let's not forget, it's summer and the TV media always jacks a minor crisis into an earthshaking 'must see' one during summer, to get its dwindling number of viewers to watch at a time of year when we don't wanna watch news so much.

My bad, but isn't "Obama doing stupid shit" and forging a tight bond between Russia and China...a good thing? Or is "Trump doing stupid shit" and dividing Russia and China to conquer and assert the Empire's supremacy, better?

OT Other than the winner calling bingo, I don't know much about the game. One time when younger, sitting in a pub lounge quietly drinking too much while a game was in progress, I had the bright idea, to liven things up, of calling out bingo. Bad move. Got the bums rush out of the place.

@85 That interview with Paul Jay, actually I prefer the perspective of interviewer Aaron Mate, is here.

And I don't think Putin will definitely go along with the deal (at least not entirely) likely being proposed to him by NETANYAHU/trump. Putin has leverage, built up thru Russian actions in Syria, and he will use that to advance Russian interests in some way. Probably he'll outsmart his negotiating partners, but who knows?

If prices rise before the winter; the ignorants that voted for him are going to get out their pitchforks. So Trump asked Opec members to increase production, when Iran sanctions take effect, precisely to control oil prices; he's even thinking of tapping into Strategic Oil Reserves to keep prices down. So there goes your theory.

I had thought of the Euro twits, Germany under attack from the US would be the first to move towards the SCO alliance. France, still retaining vestiges of De Gaulle independence may make the first move. Difficult to call with pretty boy Macron.